Ok.. I actually wanted to call this article “Why I won’t shut up about how important it is to arrive 1 hour before Tokyo Disney Parks open” but … it isn’t so easy for SEO reasons and also not that catchy !
But I really won’t shut up about it (and my Japanese friends often gasp when I tell them that a friend of mine only turned up at 10:30am!)
So why is it is important to arrive at Tokyo Disney Parks 1 hour before parks open?
It is important to arrive before the gates open at Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo Disneysea because the system is different to other parks around the world.
ALSO on busy days, gates are opened early.
“But my friend told me that they arrived 1 hour AFTER opening and there were no lines at the gates to enter at all!”
What many first timers to Tokyo Disney Parks don’t understand is – there is actual NEVER a line to get into Tokyo Disney Parks during open hours. This is because there are a set number of tickets sold (Yes, Tokyo Disney Parks can sell out during busy periods.)
“Then why do I see these long lines outside Tokyo Disney on social media or even when I arrive at the park?”
These lines are people waiting before the gates open. Then, once the gates do open, this crowd disappear into the park. Since Tokyo Disney Resort does not sell any tickets at the gate, all of these people in the line out front already have their tickets.
So what is it about the system that benefits those who arrive early?
I’ve explained it in more detail here but all kinds of fast passes and standby passes can only be reserved on the Tokyo Disney Resort app once guests are inside the park gates. So, that means that all of the complimentary or additional cost passes are snapped up in the morning (even for the afternoon and evenings.) For this reason, I recommend entering the park and walking to your first popular ride of choice and then, while in the line, booking in your rides and shows for the day (free and paid – if you decide to pay extra to skip some lines.)
To make the most of your day, before the gates open – check the official Tokyo Disney Resort to see which rides are under maintenance then choose your first ride. For Tokyo Disneyland I recommend going straight to Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain first or for little kids going and doing the teacups or the little coaster at Toon Town.
For Tokyo Disneysea I recommend going right to the back of the park to Raging Spirits or Indiana Jones and, for little kids, going to the Nemo & Friends Sea Rider or Aquatopia first (if they are really little though go straight to Mermaid Lagoon.). And while in these shorter morning ride lines, organize your fast passes for the day.
Avoid going to Monsters Inc at Disneyland or Toy Story at Disneyland first thing in the morning with small kids as the line is always long and it really takes the “eekkk! We are at Disney!” edge off the morning.
So, in the morning, you are waiting a little bit to avoid waiting hours and hours and hours in lines later?
Correct. Waiting a little bit of time at the start can save hours and hours of waiting later. As I speak about in my Tokyo Disneyland with kids blog post- it is about finding that balance of starting with a ride with a shorter wait time (especially when visiting with kids) and then making the most of fast passes after that.
Even annual pass holders and Disney employees (on their days off) arrive approximately 1 hour ahead of time.
See here for my tips if you can’t decide between visiting Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea.
